Projo Plays It (Relatively) Straight for Day 4

Following up yesterday’s post about the Providence Journal’s (ahem) different approaches to constructing its front-page coverage of the two presidential conventions, I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised to see the paper offer comparable presentations of the final days.

Sure, “HILLARY” is a little higher on the page than “TRUMP:” (with the lack of a colon arguably making the insinuation of the subheads less indicative of “she said this.” Yes, Clinton gets another subhead promoting the fact that she’s a woman woman (as opposed those types of women for whom gender is entirely a social construct), and she also gets a boost from another negative-for-Trump story connecting him to Putin. Meanwhile, the pro-Trump talking point for his coverage came not in a sub-head but in a picture from a goofy-looking supporter, and a secondary story is another negative-for-Trump story about Republican division.

And, of course, one could do a closer analysis of the three main sub-heads at the top of the page. Still, the candidates do set their own tones, and one could argue whether each of the three Trump and three Clinton talking points favor them or not, depending on one’s perspective.

I’m sure these comparable covers were largely the plan all along for the final day of convention coverage, but I find it amusing to imagine that there is, somewhere, a design for a celebratory day-four front page of Clinton now defunct in a folder on a computer on Fountain Street.

No, I would say that your pointing out their clear bias is what drove them t be sure they came closer to balanced. Good job!

Rhett Hardwick

Newspapers have always been a “dirty” business, I wonder why we expect more of them. I think the only reason we expect more is that we listen to the “Journalists” laudatory, self congratulation, of “Journalism”. When I hear that stuff, I am reminded of the Academy Awards being taken seriously. The business of a newspaper is to make money (or, at least it was) they will do what is necessary to turn a profit.

The Misfit

Some impartial commenters had this to say

Conservative writer Ron Fournier:

Well done, @realDonaldTrump. You made Democrats a party of sunny patriotism and values.

You sure @billclinton didn’t ask you to run?

— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) July 29, 2016

National Review editor Jonah Goldberg:

Why this convention is better: It’s about loving America. GOP convention was about loving Trump. If you didn’t love Trump, it offered nada.

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) July 29, 2016

John Podhoretz, former Ronald Reagan speech writer and Commentary editor:

Take about five paragraphs out of that Obama speech and it could have been a Reagan speech. Trust me. I know.

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 28, 2016

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld:

if repubs had championed their principles with specifics rather than embrace autocracy – they wouldn’t have yielded this turf to dems.

— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) July 29, 2016

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson:

For Republicans who are not social conservatives, I have to imagine last night and tonight at the DNC are having an impact on them.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016

Conservative Iowa radio host Steve Deace:

So most of conservative media and the GOP spent the week rooting for Russia, and now the Democrats get to rally around the flag.

Dreadful.

— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) July 29, 2016

Conservative Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes:

Snark aside: GOP needs to understand what is happening to them tonight…

— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) July 29, 2016

Do you know how old I am? Old enough to remember when speeches like this would’ve been given at GOP convention… Not Dem one. Brutal.

— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) July 29, 2016

Rich Galen, press secretary for Dick Cheney:

How can it be that I am standing at my kitchen counter sobbing because of the messages being driven at the DNC? Where has the GOP gone?

— Rich Galen (@richgalen) July 29, 2016

Conservative ops veteran Matt Mackowiak

This Democratic convention has been an unmitigated disaster for the GOP. Very well produced. Unifying. Patriotic. Bravo.#DNCinPHL

— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) July 29, 2016

Amanda Carpenter, former spokeswoman for Sen. Ted Cruz:

I am sure hearing a lot more about God and faith at the DNC than the RNC.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) July 28, 2016

Conservative blogger AGConservative:

Still stunned. Feel like I’m in the twilight zone. Obama just defended America & conservative values from attacks by the Republican nominee.

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) July 28, 2016

Commentary editor Noah Rothman:

Republicans could have stopped all this.

— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) July 29, 2016

Daily Caller Writer Jamie Weinstein:

Now an immigrant medal of honor winner? If the goal is to reach independents and conservatives uneasy w/ Trump, well done Democrats